January 9, 2009 8:16 pm

Slideshow: Old time ads

By Tim Bradshaw and Jeremy Lemer

Nostalgic commercials and brands are being revived as advertisers seek to tap into recession-ridden Britons’ urge for security, predictability and reassurance.

With the industry set to suffer severely through the downturn – Enders Analysis, a consultancy, predicts a 30 per cent decline in display advertising spending before the economy recovers – the denizens of Soho’s agency world are themselves mistily harking back to happier times.

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In this slideshow we take you through some of those wistful and sentimental campaigns.

Mad Men, AMC’s drama set amid the advertising world on New York’s Madison Avenue five decades ago, evokes an era of long lunches, smoke-filled offices, obliging secretaries and morning martinis. That nostalgia is also creeping into marketing campaigns. Photo © 2008 Carin Baer/AMC
Hovis has resurrected its cycling delivery boy and cobbled street last seen in Ridley Scott’s famous 1973 advertisement, which was itself an exercise in nostalgia. Photo by Jake Green
The ad follows a new Hovis boy as he walks through Britain's turbulent history to take a small brown loaf from the bakery to his home. Scenes include the First World War, images of the suffragette movement and the Millennium celebrations, and the boy’s clothes changes to fit the times. Photo by Jake Green
The ad, which is part of Premier Foods' plan to revive the brand, ends when the boy hands the loaf to his mother. A tagline reads: "As good today as it's always been". Photo by Jake Green
A string of brands’ anniversaries has also given advertisers the opportunity to indulge in a bout of nostalgia - and save money into the bargain. Virgin Atlantic is noting its twenty-fifth birthday with a commercial featuring icons of the 1980s such as yuppies, brick-sized mobile phones and the miners’ strike. The 60-second ad, created by RKCR/Y&R, opens on a depressing tabloid headline, “It’s the Pits!” from the middle of the miner’s strike. It is a miserable day at the airport. Photo Courtesy of Virgin Atlantic
Suddenly a flash of red appears between the crowd and the Frankie Goes To Hollywood track “Relax” kicks in as a gaggle of glamorous Virgin Atlantic flight attendants pass by on their way to the first Virgin flight to Newark. Photo courtesy of Virgin Atlantic
Camera bulbs pop and passers by stare. One businessman says “I need to change my job.” A colleague replies. “I need to change my ticket.” The ad closes on the line: “Still Red Hot”. Photo courtesy of Virgin Atlantic
To mark its 250th anniversary, Guinness, the iconic Irish brewer owned by Diageo, launched an advertising campaign paying homage to some of its best loved promotions. Photo courtesy of Diageo
Dressing the revival up with a “Guinness Advertising Time Machine”, the company will re-run some of the most popular Guinness advertisements including the iconic advertisements such ‘Sea Lion’ (1955), ‘Toucan’ (1955), and ‘Big Wave’ (1981). Photo courtesy of Diageo
The outdoor campaign will see the return of other iconic characters, including the Ostrich and Pelican ‘on location’ around Ireland, from Dublin to Cork. Photo courtesy of Diageo
The nostalgic trend applies to classic brands as well as individual campaigns. Mars briefly repackaged its Starburst sweets back to its old name Opal Fruits as a promotion in Asda. Photo courtesy of Mars
Cadbury has sold 70m Wispa bars since reintroducing the chocolate snack in October after a Facebook battle for its return attracted 40,000 signatories. Photo courtesy of Cadbury
The venerable Marmite brand scooped an industry award in December for its “love it or hate it” ads. Photo courtesy of Unilever
Earlier this year, M&C Saatchi produced a poster for East Midlands trains which used art-deco styling to evoke the golden age of rail, a theme Virgin Trains’ marketing has also tried to tap into. Photo courtesy of East Midlands Trains

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